Warner Bros Buys Rights To ‘40 Days Of Dating’ Blog; Michael Sucsy To Direct Film

EXCLUSIVE: A wild auction has ended with Warner Bros acquiring screen rights to40 Days Of Dating, a running blog compiled by New York designers Jessica Walsh and Timothy Goodman. It involved the two friends dating each other over 40 days, and chronicling the results with essays and filmed vignettes. The Vow and Grey Gardens helmer Michael Sucsy is attached to direct, and Lorene Scafaria will write the script. Her credits include Nick And Nora’s Infinite Playlist and she most recently wrote and directed Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World. The life rights of Walsh and Goodman are also part of the package. Michael Sugar, Joy Gorman and Bard Dorros are producing for Anonymous Content. Ashley Zalta is co-producer.

The blog was an experiment in romance by two friends who found themselves single at the same time. Walsh is a serial monogamist, while Goodman has commitment issues and dates a lot of girls. They dated exclusively for 40 days to try and overcome their relationship issues. The couple was bound by a set of rules that included the requirement they see each other every day and go on dates three times a week and take one weekend trip together; they also saw a couples therapist each week and agreed to a no outside booty call regimen for the 40 days. They bared all the results each day as they tried to make it work. The blog went viral and became popular. Even before the 40-day term was up — read the blog if you want to know how it ended — producers were all over this one. The likes of Reese Witherspoon, Josh Schwartz and Michael Costigan were assigned the project at one of several studios in the mix.

Warner Bros just landed the deal with Sarah Schechter chasing it hard. CAA, which repped all the elements, brokered the deal. Anonymous Content manages the director and scribe.